Pollution Incident Notification
Pollution Incident Notification
In NSW, a notifiable pollution incident is any leak, spill, escape, or deposit of a substance that causes or threatens to cause material harm to the environment. This includes harm to human health or ecosystems, or property damage over $50,000.
Incidents may involve air, land, noise, or water pollution, such as sewage overflows or chemical leaks.
These incidents must be reported immediately to the EPA and relevant agencies (Fire & Rescue, Health, Local Council, SafeWork NSW) by calling the Environment Line on 131 555.
Related articles
- Pollution - for general reports or air, water, noise and land pollution where the estimated damage is under $50,000.
Raise a request
Before you begin
As part of reporting a pollution incident, you will be asked:
- What happened: Describe the type of pollution (e.g., chemical spill, dust, odour, noise, illegal dumping) and the substance involved.
- When: Date and time of the incident, and how long it lasted.
- Where: Specific address, nearest cross streets, and description of the location.
- Impact: Details on harm to health, safety, property, or the environment (material harm).
- Your Details: Name, contact details, and business information (if applicable).
- Actions Taken: Immediate steps taken to make the site safe and manage the incident.
- Injured Persons: Details if anyone was injured, including treatment and hospital info.
- Evidence: Photos, videos, or witness information.
Next steps
- You'll receive an acknowledgement with your request number.
- Our Regulatory Team will be alerted and will review the incident form.
- Upon completion of the incident review and any following actions, you will receive a notification that the incident request is closed.
Time frames
Response times can vary depending on the scale of the incident.
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